Technology

Autohome Inc. Announces Unaudited Second Quarter and Interim 2024 Financial Results

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2024

BEIJING, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) (“Autohome” or the “Company”), the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights[1]

Net revenues in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB1,872.6 million (US$257.7 million), compared to RMB1,833.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.Net income attributable to Autohome in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB524.8 million (US$72.2 million), compared to RMB504.7 million in the corresponding period of 2023, while net income attributable to ordinary shareholders in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB509.7 million (US$70.1 million), compared to RMB491.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023.Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP)[2] in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB572.4 million (US$78.8 million), compared to RMB569.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Mr. Tao Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Autohome, stated, “We are pleased to deliver another solid quarter, highlighted by sustained growth in net revenues, a substantial increase in user traffic, and remarkable progress made in our innovative business initiatives. On content, our diverse and high-quality offerings, bolstered by our strong IP content matrix, has worked to consistently expand our user base and enhance user engagement. According to QuestMobile, our number of average mobile daily active users grew by 8.3% year-over-year, reaching 67.91 million in June, underscoring our leading position in the automotive media vertical. For our innovative businesses, we launched our Satellite Plan in May, a strategic initiative to establish satellite stores in lower-tier cities adjacent to flagship Autohome Space stores. This initiative will accelerate our network expansion, facilitating deeper penetration into broader geographical markets. Looking ahead, we remain committed to exploring new business areas and leveraging Ping An’s resources to enhance our long-term industry competitiveness.”

Mr. Craig Yan Zeng, Chief Financial Officer of Autohome, added, “Our focus on innovative businesses has led to robust growth in our data products and new energy vehicle (“NEV”) business, with double-digit year-over-year increases in quarterly revenues. We have maintained a healthy balance sheet while driving the development of our businesses and fulfilling our commitment to provide stable shareholder returns. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on areas of emerging growth while maintaining stringent cost controls to ensure long-term shareholder value.”

Unaudited Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB1,872.6 million (US$257.7 million), compared to RMB1,833.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Media services revenues were RMB432.9 million (US$59.6 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB532.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023.Leads generation services revenues were RMB820.3 million (US$112.9 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB759.6 million in the corresponding period of 2023.Online marketplace and others revenues were RMB619.4 million (US$85.2 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB541.4 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB346.1 million (US$47.6 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB330.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expense included in cost of revenues in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB1.9 million (US$0.3 million), compared to RMB1.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were RMB1,185.3 million (US$163.1 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB1,228.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB752.5 million (US$103.6 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB824.1 million in the corresponding period of 2023, due primarily to a decrease in marketing and promotional expenses. Share-based compensation expenses included in sales and marketing expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB10.1 million (US$1.4 million), compared to RMB12.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023.General and administrative expenses were RMB117.6 million (US$16.2 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB91.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in general and administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB10.4 million (US$1.4 million), compared to RMB8.9 million in the corresponding period of 2023.Product development expenses were RMB315.2 million (US$43.4 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB313.0 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Share-based compensation expenses included in product development expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB18.8 million (US$2.6 million), compared to RMB18.7 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Operating Profit

Operating profit was RMB412.4 million (US$56.7 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB341.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was RMB102.2 million (US$14.1 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB35.8 million in the corresponding period of 2023. The increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to a withholding tax related to the declared cash dividend plan for 2024 and beyond, and the tax filing adjustments of the previous year.

Net Income Attributable to Autohome

Net income attributable to Autohome was RMB524.8 million (US$72.2 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB504.7 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

Net Income Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders and Earnings per Share/ADS

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB509.7 million (US$70.1 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB491.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) were RMB1.05 (US$0.14) and RMB1.05 (US$0.14), respectively, in the second quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted EPS of RMB1.00 and RMB1.00, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB4.20 (US$0.58) and RMB4.19 (US$0.58), respectively, in the second quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB3.99 and RMB3.98, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023.

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) and Non-GAAP EPS/ADS

Adjusted net income attributable to Autohome (Non-GAAP) was RMB572.4 million (US$78.8 million) in the second quarter of 2024, compared to RMB569.5 million in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS were RMB1.18 (US$0.16) and RMB1.18 (US$0.16), respectively, in the second quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS of RMB1.16 and RMB1.15, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB4.72 (US$0.65) and RMB4.71 (US$0.65), respectively, in the second quarter of 2024, compared to non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB4.62 and RMB4.61, respectively, in the corresponding period of 2023.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

As of June 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB23.47 billion (US$3.23 billion). Net cash provided by operating activities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB452.0 million (US$62.2 million).

Employees

The Company had 5,078 employees as of June 30, 2024, including 1,755 employees from TTP Car, Inc.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 (8:00 p.m. Beijing Time on the same day).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the registration link provided below. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which will be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIfd7c475745884d119c4c12c24ed8f0f5

Please use the conference access information to join the call 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at https://ir.autohome.com.cn and a replay of the webcast will be available following the session.

About Autohome

Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to relentlessly reduce auto industry decision-making and transaction costs driven by advanced technology. Autohome provides occupationally generated content, professionally generated content, user-generated content, and AI-generated content, a comprehensive automobile library, and extensive automobile listing information to automobile consumers, covering the entire car purchase and ownership cycle. The ability to reach a large and engaged user base of automobile consumers has made Autohome a preferred platform for automakers and dealers to conduct their advertising campaigns. Further, the Company’s dealer subscription and advertising services allow dealers to market their inventory and services through Autohome’s platform, extending the reach of their physical showrooms to potentially millions of internet users in China and generating sales leads for them. The Company offers sales leads, data analysis, and marketing services to assist automakers and dealers with improving their efficiency and facilitating transactions. Further, through its websites and mobile applications, it also provides other value-added services, including auto financing, auto insurance, used car transactions, and aftermarket services. For further information, please visit https://www.autohome.com.cn/.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “future”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, Autohome’s business outlook, Autohome’s strategic and operational plans and quotations from management in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. Autohome may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Autohome’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Autohome’s goals and strategies; Autohome’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the online automobile advertising market in China; Autohome’s ability to attract and retain users and advertisers and further enhance its brand recognition; Autohome’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; competition in the online automobile advertising industry; relevant government policies and regulatory environment of China; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Autohome’s filings with the SEC and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Autohome does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement net income presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we use Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome, Non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS and earnings per ADS, Adjusted net margin and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP financial measures. We define Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome as net income attributable to Autohome excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition, investment loss relating to non-operating impact of a write-down of the initial investment in a financial product, and loss/(gain) pickup of equity method investments, with all the reconciliation items adjusted for related income tax effects. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted EPS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares. We define non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of ADSs. We define Adjusted net margin as Adjusted Net Income attributable to Autohome divided by total net revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Autohome before income tax expense, depreciation expenses of property and equipment, amortization expenses of intangible assets and share-based compensation expenses. We present these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by our management to evaluate our operating performance, in addition to net income prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are important to help investors understand our operating and financial performance, compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and assess our core operating results, as they exclude certain non-cash charges or items that are non-operating in nature. The use of the above non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations as they excluded certain items that have been and will continue to be incurred in the future, but such items should be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliation of non-GAAP and GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Autohome Inc.
Investor Relations
Sterling Song
Investor Relations Director
Tel: +86-10-5985-7483
E-mail: ir@autohome.com.cn

Christensen China Limited
Suri Cheng
Tel: +86-185-0060-8364
E-mail: suri.cheng@christensencomms.com

AUTOHOME INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA
(Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)

For three months ended June 30,

For six months ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

US$

RMB

US$

Net revenues:

Media services

532,005

432,858

59,563

893,473

760,289

104,619

Leads generation services

759,635

820,271

112,873

1,440,269

1,546,694

212,832

Online marketplace and others

541,394

619,425

85,236

1,032,921

1,174,636

161,635

Total net revenues

1,833,034

1,872,554

257,672

3,366,663

3,481,619

479,086

Cost of revenues

(330,227)

(346,102)

(47,625)

(670,441)

(646,994)

(89,029)

Gross profit

1,502,807

1,526,452

210,047

2,696,222

2,834,625

390,057

Operating expenses:

Sales and marketing expenses

(824,081)

(752,543)

(103,553)

(1,347,197)

(1,393,819)

(191,796)

General and administrative
expenses

(90,979)

(117,564)

(16,177)

(240,135)

(267,109)

(36,755)

Product development expenses

(313,010)

(315,230)

(43,377)

(637,376)

(651,297)

(89,621)

Total operating expenses

(1,228,070)

(1,185,337)

(163,107)

(2,224,708)

(2,312,225)

(318,172)

Other operating income, net

66,772

71,279

9,808

133,160

166,072

22,852

Operating profit

341,509

412,394

56,748

604,674

688,472

94,737

Interest and investment income,
net

202,813

189,053

26,015

427,828

409,027

56,284

(Loss)/income from equity method
investments

(1,690)

4,640

638

(33,125)

(44,493)

(6,122)

Income before income taxes

542,632

606,087

83,401

999,377

1,053,006

144,899

Income tax expense

(35,796)

(102,165)

(14,058)

(90,477)

(170,566)

(23,471)

Net income

506,836

503,922

69,343

908,900

882,440

121,428

Net (income)/loss attributable to
noncontrolling interests

(2,102)

20,839

2,868

1,336

36,820

5,067

Net income attributable to
Autohome

504,734

524,761

72,211

910,236

919,260

126,495

Accretion of mezzanine equity

(38,686)

(42,687)

(5,874)

(75,185)

(84,358)

(11,608)

Accretion attributable to
noncontrolling interests

25,164

27,599

3,798

48,913

54,547

7,506

Net income attributable to
ordinary shareholders

491,212

509,673

70,135

883,964

889,449

122,393

Earnings per share attributable to
ordinary shareholders

Basic

1.00

1.05

0.14

1.79

1.84

0.25

Diluted

1.00

1.05

0.14

1.79

1.83

0.25

Earnings per ADS attributable
to ordinary shareholders (one
ADS equals for four ordinary
shares)

Basic

3.99

4.20

0.58

7.17

7.34

1.01

Diluted

3.98

4.19

0.58

7.15

7.32

1.01

Weighted average shares used to compute
earnings per share attributable to ordinary
shareholders:

Basic

492,534,428

484,860,625

492,927,049

484,569,763

Diluted

493,624,704

486,591,693

494,261,429

486,029,303

AUTOHOME INC.
UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP AND GAAP RESULTS
(Amount in thousands, except per share / per ADS data)

For three months ended June 30,

For six months ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

US$

RMB

US$

Net income attributable to
Autohome

504,734

524,761

72,211

910,236

919,260

126,495

Plus: income tax expense

37,136

103,505

14,243

93,157

173,247

23,840

Plus: depreciation of property and
equipment

42,259

31,750

4,369

90,197

65,284

8,983

Plus: amortization of intangible
assets

10,798

9,650

1,328

21,638

19,300

2,656

EBITDA

594,927

669,666

92,151

1,115,228

1,177,091

161,974

Plus: share-based compensation
expenses

41,628

41,188

5,668

87,813

89,495

12,315

Adjusted EBITDA

636,555

710,854

97,819

1,203,041

1,266,586

174,289

Net income attributable to
Autohome

504,734

524,761

72,211

910,236

919,260

126,495

Plus: amortization of intangible assets
resulting from business acquisition

10,722

9,583

1,319

21,444

19,166

2,637

Plus: share-based compensation
expenses

41,628

41,188

5,668

87,813

89,495

12,315

Plus: investment loss arising from one of
financial products[3]

14,532

2,906

400

8,719

2,906

400

Plus: loss/(gain) on equity method
investments, net

1,690

(4,640)

(638)

33,125

44,493

6,122

Plus: tax effects of the adjustments

(3,840)

(1,360)

(187)

(8,360)

(8,954)

(1,232)

Adjusted net income attributable
to Autohome

569,466

572,438

78,773

1,052,977

1,066,366

146,737

Net income attributable to
Autohome

504,734

524,761

72,211

910,236

919,260

126,495

Net margin

27.5 %

28.0 %

27.0 %

26.4 %

Adjusted net income attributable
to Autohome

569,466

572,438

78,773

1,052,977

1,066,366

146,737

Adjusted net margin

31.1 %

30.6 %

31.3 %

30.6 %

Non-GAAP earnings per share

Basic

1.16

1.18

0.16

2.14

2.20

0.30

Diluted

1.15

1.18

0.16

2.13

2.19

0.30

Non-GAAP earnings per ADS
(one ADS equals for four ordinary
shares)

Basic

4.62

4.72

0.65

8.54

8.80

1.21

Diluted

4.61

4.71

0.65

8.52

8.78

1.21

Weighted average shares used to
compute non-GAAP earnings
per share:

Basic

492,534,428

484,860,625

492,927,049

484,569,763

Diluted

493,624,704

486,591,693

494,261,429

486,029,303

AUTOHOME INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(Amount in thousands, except as noted)

As of
December 31,

As of June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

4,996,353

3,881,952

534,174

Restricted cash

126,794

107,964

14,856

Short-term investments

18,552,354

19,593,011

2,696,088

Accounts receivable, net

1,472,489

1,350,567

185,844

Amounts due from related parties, current

16,439

30,233

4,160

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

360,559

423,411

58,263

Total current assets

25,524,988

25,387,138

3,493,385

Non-current assets

Restricted cash, non-current

5,000

688

Property and equipment, net

200,860

194,067

26,705

Goodwill and intangible assets, net

4,143,968

4,106,799

565,114

Long-term investments

448,341

403,848

55,571

Deferred tax assets

295,598

40,676

Amounts due from related parties, non-current

16,048

13,839

1,904

Other non-current assets

200,928

157,102

21,619

Total non-current assets

5,310,743

5,176,253

712,277

Total assets

30,835,731

30,563,391

4,205,662

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current liabilities

Accrued expenses and other payables

2,932,227

2,227,929

306,573

Advance from customers

105,379

102,623

14,121

Deferred revenue

801,581

1,156,160

159,093

Income tax payable

227,260

338,306

46,552

Amounts due to related parties

24,572

31,878

4,387

Dividends payable

984,332

493,881

67,960

Total current liabilities

5,075,351

4,350,777

598,686

Non-current liabilities

Other liabilities

89,187

58,622

8,067

Deferred tax liabilities

497,955

472,481

65,016

Total non-current liabilities

587,142

531,103

73,083

Total liabilities

5,662,493

4,881,880

671,769

MEZZANINE EQUITY

Convertible redeemable noncontrolling interests

1,758,933

1,843,291

253,645

EQUITY

Total Autohome shareholders’ equity

23,928,187

24,443,437

3,363,529

Noncontrolling interests

(513,882)

(605,217)

(83,281)

Total equity

23,414,305

23,838,220

3,280,248

Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and equity

30,835,731

30,563,391

4,205,662

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION BETWEEN U.S. GAAP AND IFRS

The unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the six month ended June 30, 2024 and the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2024 (collectively, the “Unaudited Interim Financial Statements”) of Autohome Inc., its subsidiaries,the variable interest entities, and the subsidiaries of the variable interest entities (collectively, the “Company”) are prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (the “U.S. GAAP”), and the differences between U.S. GAAP and the International Financial Reporting Standards (the “IFRS”) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (together, the “Reconciliation Statement”) have been disclosed in the Appendix — Unaudited Reconciliation Between U.S. GAAP and IFRS attached herein.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the auditor of the Company in Hong Kong, has performed a limited assurance engagement on the Reconciliation Statement in accordance with International Standards on Assurance Engagements 3000 (Revised) “Assurance Engagements Other Than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information” issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.

Appendix

The Unaudited Interim Financial Statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which differ in certain respects from IFRS. The effects of material differences between the Unaudited Interim Financial Statements prepared under U.S. GAAP and IFRS are as follows:

Reconciliation of unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income:

For six months ended June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

Reconciliation of net income in the consolidated statements of income

(in thousands)

Net income as reported under U.S. GAAP

908,900

882,440

IFRS adjustments:

Preferred shares (Note a)

(64,555)

126,264

Leases (Note b)

(521)

(285)

Share-based compensations (Note c)

(36,304)

(16,419)

Net income as reported under IFRS

807,520

992,000

Reconciliation of unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets:

As of
December 31,

As of
June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

Reconciliation of total equity in the consolidated balance sheets

(in thousands)

Total equity as reported under U.S. GAAP

23,414,305

23,838,220

IFRS adjustments:

Preferred shares (Note a)

1,182,018

1,409,285

Leases (Note b)

(9,536)

(9,821)

Total equity as reported under IFRS

24,586,787

25,237,684

Notes:

Basis of Preparation

The Directors of the Company are responsible for preparation of the Reconciliation Statement in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Hong Kong Listing Rules. The Reconciliation Statement was prepared based on the Company’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial information for the six months ended June 30, 2024 prepared under U.S. GAAP, with adjustments made (if any) thereto in arriving at the unaudited financial information of the Company prepared under IFRS. The adjustments reflect the differences between the Company’s accounting policies under U.S. GAAP and IFRS.

(a) Preferred Shares

Under U.S. GAAP, the preferred shares of the Company are accounted for as mezzanine equity, which is subsequently accreted to the amount which equals to redemption value of each series of preferred shares.

Under IFRS, the preferred shares, which are redeemable at the option of the holder, represent a financial liability. And the financial liability is measured at fair value and changes in the fair value are reflected in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The amount of change in the fair value of the financial liability that is attributable to changes in the credit risk of the liability shall be presented in the consolidated balance sheets as accumulated other comprehensive income; the remaining amount of change in the fair value of the liability shall be presented in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Accordingly, the reconciliation includes a fair value profit change of RMB64.56 million (negative) and RMB126.26 million recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for each of the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively. The reconciliation also includes the difference between mezzanine equity under U.S. GAAP and financial liabilities under IFRS of RMB1,182.02 million and RMB1,409.29 million as at December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

(b) Leases

For operating leases under U.S. GAAP, the subsequent measurement of the lease liability is based on the present value of the remaining lease payments using the discount rate determined at lease commencement, while the right-of-use asset is remeasured at the amount of the lease liability, adjusted for the remaining balance of any lease incentives received, cumulative prepaid or accrued rents, unamortized initial direct costs and any impairment. This treatment under U.S. GAAP results in straight line expense being incurred over the lease term, as opposed to IFRS which generally yields a “front-loaded” expense with more expense recognized in earlier years of the lease.

Accordingly, the reconciliation includes an expenses difference recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income of RMB0.52 million and RMB0.29 million for each of the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively. The reconciliation also includes a difference in total equity of RMB9.54 million and RMB9.82 million as at December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

Under U.S. GAAP, the Company has elected to recognize compensation expense using the straight-line method for all share-based awards granted with service conditions that have a graded vesting schedule. For awards with performance condition and multiple service dates, if the performance conditions are all set at inception and independent for each year, each tranche is accounted for as a separate award with its own requisite service period. Compensation cost is recognized over the respective requisite service period separately for each separately-vesting tranche as though each tranche of the award is, in substance, a separate award.

Under IFRS, the accelerated method is required to recognize compensation expense for all employee equity awards granted with graded vesting.

Accordingly, the reconciliation includes an expense recognition difference in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income of RMB36.30 million and RMB16.42 million for each of the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively.

[1] The reporting currency of the Company is Renminbi (“RMB”). For readers’ convenience, certain amounts throughout the release are presented in US dollars (“US$”). Unless otherwise noted, all conversions from RMB to US$ are translated at the noon buying rate of US$1.00 to RMB7.2672 on June 28, 2024 in the City of New York for cable transfers of RMB as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$ at such rate.

[2] For more information on this and other non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section captioned “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the tables captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of Non-GAAP and GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this release.

[3] It represented the loss of an investment with fair value below its initial investment, which was recognized at “interest and investment income, net”. The impact was considered to be not directly related to the Company’s operating activities.

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SOURCE Autohome Inc.

Technology

Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

Published

27 minutes ago

July 18, 2026

CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

CHANDIGARH, India, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar, has been named the “Punjab State Topper” in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program organised by Samsung in collaboration with Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and training partner Focal Skill Development (Focalyt) to equip Indian youth with industry-relevant in-demand skills in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding & Programming, preparing them for future careers.

A final-year student of Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) at University Institute of Computing (UIC) of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar also won a cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with a laptop, and exclusive Samsung rewards for achieving this remarkable milestone under the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program.

“Being named ‘AI State Topper’ was a moment of profound pride and validation for me. Hard work, intense technical training and a passion for AI culminated in the immense honor of the Punjab State Topper title. Besides getting access to state-of-the-art tools to fuel my future research and development endeavor, I gained world-class knowledge during the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program. It helped me in gaining hands-on experience and applied AI to solve real-world challenges, especially in aeronautical and technical domains,”

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

“Our team developed the advanced AI-powered system AI Research Agent, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform designed for intelligent querying of private document collections. Organizations, researchers, legal professionals, and HR teams often work with large collections of documents. Traditional search methods rely heavily on keyword matching and require significant manual effort to locate relevant information. The project was developed to address the limitations of traditional document search systems, which often struggle with contextual understanding, retrieval accuracy, learning adaptability, and response speed,” said Devesh.

“The developed system demonstrated significant improvements over traditional document retrieval approaches with faster response generation with integration of modern AI techniques, full-stack development, database systems, and intelligent automation into a single practical solution. By combining modern RAG architecture with innovative retrieval and reasoning mechanisms, this system provides a fast, intelligent, and user-friendly solution for knowledge discovery and resume evaluation. This project not only enhanced our technical expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Full-Stack Development but also strengthened our problem-solving, teamwork, and professional communication skills. It stands as a significant achievement of our Samsung Innovation Campus 2025 journey and reflects our commitment to building impactful AI solutions for real-world challenges,” he added.

Congratulating Devesh Panwar for being named “Punjab State Topper” AI under the Samsung Innovation Campus Samsung Innovation Program, Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University, said, “Devesh’s achievement reflects Chandigarh University’s focus on experiential learning and industry-academia collaboration. Through the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program, CU students gain practical exposure to AI and building solutions for real-world challenges. This accomplishment reflects not only Devesh’s commitment to excellence but also the growing culture of innovation and industry-oriented learning at Chandigarh University,”.

“Since its inception, Chandigarh University has set benchmarks for world-class education with its dynamic hands-on experiential learning model, industry-aligned programs, dynamic fraternity, state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and impeccable placements. Samsung Innovation Program is also part of our initiatives to develop a future-ready talent pool equipped with advanced capabilities in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding and Programming. By bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, this collaboration helps in providing CU’s computer science and computing students exposure to cutting-edge and emerging technologies. CU’s this partnership with Samsung is focused on building future-ready talent equipped with industry-relevant skills in AI and emerging technologies,” Sandhu said.

He said Chandigarh University’s Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. “Chandigarh University carries a vision of crafting next-gen IT professionals who can take up industry challenges effectively and our Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. UIC’s hands-on approach paves the way for a smooth transition to the workforce after graduation. Our students are equipped with the best knowledge, skills and passion to succeed in any number of computing careers. CU’s Institute of Computing renders cutting-edge education ranging from the expertise in traditional software development -to- modern computing technologies. Fully-equipped industry-sponsored labs, industry-aligned curriculum, and accreditations and validations by top companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Google Android, Red Hat etc. give our students an exclusive edge over others,” the Chandigarh University CMD said.

Sandhu said the latest edition of QS World University Rankings has yet again reaffirmed Chandigarh University global standing as a top educational institution. “Continuing its remarkable rise among the world’s leading higher education institutions, Chandigarh University (CU) has made impressive strides in the latest edition of prestigious QS World University Rankings 2027 by securing an overall world rank of 526, an increase of 49 ranks as compared to 575th rank in QS’ 2026 Rankings. This is for the fifth consecutive year that Chandigarh University’s global rankings have witnessed an impressive surge with CU’s world rank going up by an impressive 274 ranks — from the 800th rank in 2023 to 526th in 2027’s Rankings,”.

“As per the latest QS World University Rankings, with All India Rank of 13 among all universities in the country as compared to 16th rank in 2026’s rankings, Chandigarh University now ranks among the top 1% of universities in India and the top 2% of universities in the World, underscoring its growing reputation as a leading institution of higher learning, both in India and globally,” he added.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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Technology

Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

Published

27 minutes ago

July 18, 2026

CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

About Chandigarh University

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/samsung-selects-chandigarh-university-student-as-punjab-ai-state-topper-302828991.html

Technology

Black Lake Technologies Shortlisted as SAIL Award TOP30 Finalist and Selected as Global Industrial AI Flagship Case, Showcasing Latest Industrial Agent at WAIC 2026

Published

1 hour ago

July 18, 2026

SHANGHAI, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) opened in Shanghai on July 17. Shanghai Blacklake Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Black Lake”), an industrial AI company, is showcasing a portfolio of industrial AI agents at the conference. The company has also been named to the Top 30 shortlist for the 2026 WAIC Super AI Leader (SAIL) Award and selected as a Trusted Partner under the Global Call for Trusted Partners for Industrial AI in the Global South.

The accreditations highlight Black Lake’s latest progress in bringing AI into critical manufacturing decision-making workflows and deploying industrial AI capabilities on the shop floor around the world.

This year’s conference attracted over 1,100 exhibiting companies and showcased more than 3,000 exhibits, setting a new record for exhibition scale. The conference delivered a clear signal: as artificial intelligence becomes a common priority across global industries, attention is moving beyond model capabilities toward practical applications in real-world operating environments.

Manufacturing provides a particularly demanding test for this transition. Factory operations are governed by multiple constraints, including process specifications, equipment capabilities, material availability, production capacity, delivery schedules and quality requirements. Therefore, AI has to do so much more than simply comprehend information input. It must make reliable judgments within clearly defined business rules and operational constraints.

Black Lake has focused on industrial digitalization and industrial AI for years, developing and deploying AI applications in a range of factory environments.

At WAIC 2026, the company is presenting industrial AI agents covering order splitting and process planning, quotation and pricing, procurement, production scheduling, quality inspection, and order tracking. These applications are designed to move AI beyond an auxiliary role and into critical manufacturing decision-making workflows.

Traditional industrial software is primarily responsible for data recording, digital workflows, and worker coordination. However, critical decisions such as how to split an order, determine pricing, schedule production, and assess quality risks still depend heavily on the experience of engineers and frontline workers.

Industrial AI agents are intended to convert fragmented industrial knowledge and production experience into decision-making capabilities that can be invoked, reused and continuously refined by software systems.

Order decomposition and process planning are representative examples. After receiving an engineering drawing, a factory typically relies on experienced engineers to identify components, materials and dimensions, define the required manufacturing processes and technical specifications, and establish a basis for subsequent quotation and quality inspection.

The process is highly dependent on individual expertise and represents one of the first critical decision points after an order is received.

Black Lake Technologies’ CAD-to-Process Agent can understand product drawings and, taking into account the factory’s equipment capabilities, process requirements, and production practices, rapidly generate process steps along with the corresponding technical requirements. Drawing analysis that once took hours can now be completed in approximately one minute, achieving an accuracy rate of over 95% in real deployment and providing engineers with stable, efficient decision support. Currently, the industrial agents developed by the company cover core processes including design, scheduling, production, and quality inspection, and have entered the stage of large-scale deployment.

Founded in 2016, Black Lake serves nearly 40,000 factories worldwide. Its customers span more than 30 industries, including food and beverage, automotive components and equipment manufacturing.

By working across factory order management, production and fulfillment workflows, Black Lake has accumulated the technical capabilities and industry knowledge required to support decision-making in complex industrial environments.

In April 2026, Black Lake completed a Series D funding round of nearly RMB 1 billion. The company said the proceeds would primarily be used to accelerate the deployment of its industrial AI products and support its international expansion.

AI-related products are becoming a new source of growth for the company. In a recent interview, Black Lake founder and CEO Zhou Yuxiang said that the company had recorded significant growth in AI-related revenue since the beginning of 2026. He also said that manufacturing customers were taking less time to make purchasing decisions for industrial AI agents.

Zhou expects AI adoption among Chinese factories to increase substantially over the next three to four years.

Unlike consumer-facing AI, which is primarily associated with content generation and personal productivity, industrial AI agents can directly affect production costs, capacity utilization, delivery performance, and product quality. Their commercial value therefore depends largely on whether they can perform specific tasks reliably in complex production environments.

During WAIC 2026, Black Lake was named to the Top 30 shortlist for the 2026 Super AI Leader (SAIL) Award. The SAIL Award is one of WAIC’s major awards and recognizes achievements in technological breakthroughs, application innovation, and industrial value.

Black Lake was also selected as a Trusted Partner under UNIDO’s Global Call for Trusted Partners for Industrial AI in the Global South.

The Global Call was launched under the guidance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, and in connection with the work of UNIDO AIM Global and its Shanghai-based Centre of Excellence.

The initiative aims to build a curated pool of leading partners to co-develop scalable industrial AI solutions and public goods for the Global South.

For Black Lake, the two accreditations underscore the growing importance of reliability, explainability, and scalability in the evaluation of industrial AI, in addition to the capabilities of AI models.

Global expansion will be a major priority in the company’s next phase of development. Black Lake is currently focusing on Southeast Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, adapting its industrial AI agents to the industrial structures, production processes and management requirements of different markets.

Although manufacturing operations vary across countries and regions, manufacturers share similar concerns about efficiency, quality, delivery reliability and production flexibility.

Black Lake is transforming industrial AI capabilities that have been validated in complex factory environments into configurable and deployable products. Through these products, the company aims to work with manufacturers worldwide to explore more efficient, flexible and intelligent approaches to production.

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SOURCE Black Lake